On Nov. 4 the citizens of Massachusetts overwhelmingly approved the decriminalization of possessing small amounts of of marijuana by passing Question 2. When this law takes effect, people caught with less than one ounce of the drug will no longer need to fear having a criminal charge on their permanent record that could jeopardize their futures. With police more available to prevent violent crime, the Boston streets will certainly be safer in the long term, but the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association has made it clear that it does not agree with the changes and has even speculated that no officer will take the time to enforce the law.
The BPPA argues that, because of the decriminalization, it would not be worth an officer’s time to go after individuals committing a minor civil offense. Though the BPPA is taking the right approach by making marijuana enforcement a lower priority, it has the wrong attitude toward the new law and is sending the wrong message to the citizens that passed the law.
Now that small amounts of marijuana are decriminalized, Boston police will be able to devote more resources to combating more serious crimes in the city. Violent crime has increased from 2007 to 2008 across the board in the Allston-Brighton district, according to official Boston Police statistics. Compared to other cities, the incidence of violent crime in Boston may be low, but it is still unacceptably high. Boston residents should feel safer knowing that police officers will be more focused on preventing violence on the streets, rather than punishing those with trace amounts of marijuana.
But saying that enforcing the new marijuana policy would be a ‘waste of everyone’s time’ is not right. BPD’s opposition to Question 2 was justifiable, but the people have since spoken. Now is not the time for the department to act like a sore loser. While the new law requires some dramatic changes to police protocol, the police department must do its duty and enforce the law that the people of Massachusetts have ratified.
Voters have done the right thing in passing an initiative for a more common-sense approach to marijuana. However, law enforcement officials set a bad precedent when they claim that enforcing the law just isn’t worth the time. The BPD should never publicly contradict the laws it is meant to enforce, and it should silently continue protecting the people of Boston.
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